Women In Comedic Literary Texts English Literature Essay

It should be noted that this paper gives a unsmooth expression at females in taking comedic functions. However, this paper is non across-the-board and has no uncertainty left out other of import key-texts. It does seek to look at a scope of plants ( novels and dramas ) , but does non dig into poesy or wordss. Nor, does it concentrate on in-depth descriptions of secret plan for each single work mentioned in order to give brief overview of many texts instead than an in-depth analysis of a few.

An analysis of comedic literature shows that comedic functions were frequently lead by male supporter. In early literature adult female played minor parts, frequently relegated to that of a amusing foil. But when did adult females emerge in preponderantly taking functions in literature-based comedy[ 1 ]?

In order to happen out when adult females entered the comedic literature scene, we have to look at some of our oldest literary texts. We know that the Epic of Gilgamesh is possibly our oldest written narrative written someplace between 2700 and 2500 BCE. It originates from Ancient Samaria and is written on 12s clay tablets and recounts the narrative of King Uruk. ( Gilgamesh )

It took sometime before composing moved from a written history to amusement. Several things had to go on ; foremost, adult male needed to happen a stuff other than clay and stone to record on, such as papyrus, linen and finally paper. Second, there had to a big adequate literate population to scratch and enter the information. All this took considerable clip and it was n’t until 500 BCE that Greek comedies foremost appeared. Grecian playwright, Epicharmus is “ frequently credited with being the first amusing author, holding originated theaˆ¦Sicilian comedic signifier, ” ( wiki1 ) . These dramas were normally preformed as portion of competition in Athens in award of the God or birthrate and vino, Dionysia ( Wiki2 ) .

By 411 BCE, Arophates wrote Lysistrata. It is the first comedic-writing I found that features a adult female in a lead function. The drama, a sarcasm[ 2 ], tells how Lysistrata calls a meeting of adult females, from all over the universe, and attempts to convert them to keep back sex from their hubbies as a manner to stop the Peloponnesian War.

I imagine the drama was controversial during its clip, as the functions of adult females were that of a homemaker and child-bearer. They were besides expected to be sexually submissive to their hubbies and obey their demands at all times. However, in Lysistrata, the adult females are independent, vocal and have a ferric sexual appetency. They feel that by withhold sex from their hubbies they will derive the ultimate control over them because they are weak in comparing.

By the 2nd century, libraries were get downing to look in Rome and I can presume some of the first modern novels appeared. I can besides speculate that literacy was increasing, based on the edifice of these libraries, and possibly some of these would hold been comedies. However, the following comedic text I can happen that characteristic a taking female is Chaucer ‘s, Canterbury Tales, which was written in the late 1300s CE. That ‘s an unbelievable clip span or spread and even so, “ The Wife of Bath, ” is non a perfect illustration. The “ Wife of Bath ” tells a meta-story. It ‘s the prologue of the narrative that tells of a adult female who has had five hubbies. She claims that she can “ accurately ” state a good narrative because of her experience. This married woman seems to wish the public presentation of her narrative more than the narrative she is seeking to state. This is evident, in the fact, that the prologue is twice every bit long as the narrative itself and that she loses her topographic point several times — caught up in the minute. This sarcasm, illustrates the defect of this adult female, although I am non certain it was meant to demo the evident defects of all adult females. Chaucer ‘s texts have ne’er been overtly feminist. On one manus, she seems strong to take the lead in stating this narrative, nevertheless the content of which lends her in bad visible radiation. The fact that she has had five hubbies either makes her seems promiscuous or money-hungry. And her tedious presentation makes her seem like a adult female who wants attending more than one who has a narrative to impart.

By the late 1500s CE, Shakespeare was composing and bring forthing comedies. The drama, “ Taming of the Shrew, ” is a romantic comedy in which there is non individual supporter, but several chief characters. Katherine, girl of Baptisa Minola, is the “ termagant ” in that she is crabbed, disobedient ( at foremost ) and excessively brash. Her wholly opposite sister, Bianca, is beautiful and much desired by male suers. However, Katherine being the eldest must get married foremost. After a series of turns, a payoff, and arranged matrimony, Katherine is betrothed to Petruchio. He merely seeks her luck and takes some pride in his ability to “ chasten ” her. He is besides making Bianca ‘s suers a favour by acquiring Katherine out of the manner.

Although seemly un-comedic, its rhetoric is really really light, while is comedy is a spot dark. It ‘s able to cope some really controversial issues, environment matrimony and functions of the married woman. By doing Katherine travel from being crazy- natural state to so easy tamed and submissive is what draws attending to its absurdnesss and the absurdnesss of the societal establishment of matrimony. I besides find it a spot dry to cognize that the functions of Katherine and Bianca were most likely played by pre-pubescent male childs on phase during the Elizabethan epoch.

Possibly the following noteworthy novel, Emma, was really written by a adult female, Jane Austen, about two hundred old ages after Shakespeare. The supporter, Emma, plays an doomed match-maker who can non look to acquire out of her ain manner. This narrative has a batch of situational-irony laced throughout. Emma leads Harriet, her matchee, off from an acceptable suer to trail one that is non interested and who so proposes to Emma. There are legion plot-twists and in the terminal everyone finds person to love.

This “ comedy of manners ” focuses chiefly with the upper societal categories and its wit capitalizes on their behaviour or idiosyncrasy. You have Emma, an unwed twenty-something who is seeking to fit up everyone around her — but herself. Although she is gawky and at clip awkward, Emma is interrupting traditional imposts unlike the females of Taming of the Shrew.

In 1932, Stella Gibbons published her novel, Cold Comfort Farm. Flora Post, a recent orphan, decides to travel to the rural countryside to populate with drawn-out household after reject legion offers from household. Flora, who is referred to as “ Robert Post ‘s Child[ 3 ], ” uses her modern thought to transform the household and farm. The narrative is excessively satirical, even absurdist, and Flora is portrayed as being both naA?ve and culturally insensitive. However, she does take a lead function and her clumsiness at the farm lends to most of the wit. The remainder of the wit revolves around the household and their backward and bizarre rites. They are simply stuck in their ways and Flora ‘s decisive attitude brings the farm out of its expletive. But the monetary value they all wage is high, the male parent left his married woman, Seth, the boy, leaves to prosecute a calling in the films go forthing behind four asshole kids, and Flora falls in love with her cousin. Not precisely the award function for lead females.

Even with the few narratives and dramas having adult females in lead comedic functions — none of them portray adult females in peculiarly favourable visible radiation. These adult females seem begrimed and stupid and their comedy comes from either there ignorance ( Emma and Cold Comfort Farm ) or their absurd thoughts ( Lysistrata ) . None of these characteristics adult female who are strong, independent and intellectually witty. They ne’er outsmart their amusing foil nor do they look echt. And, it seems that when they do acquire the upper manus, it ‘s normally either illegal[ 4 ]or absurd.

As I continue frontward along the literary timeline, I find more and more narratives that repeat the same rhetoric. Whether it ‘s Fey Weldon ‘s, Life and Love of a She-Devil ( 1983 ) , Gregory McGuire ‘s, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West ( 1995 ) or Rebecca Well ‘s, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, adult female can non look to acquire the same literary functions as their male opposite numbers. It seems that females are more excepted in dramatic functions than comedic 1s, and when they are given the lead function, it is that of the clown or dimwitted imbecile. I will go on to look for a trig, witty rational female in comedy, until them I return to my ironing.